This application relates to a system which utilizes blade clearance information to identify the magnitude and location of a rotor imbalance.
Gas turbine engines include a plurality of sections mounted in series. Typically, a fan may deliver air into a compressor section. The air is compressed and delivered downstream into a combustion chamber where it is mixed with fuel and combusted. Products of that combustion pass downstream over turbine rotors.
The fan, the compressor, and the turbines all include rotors with attached blades.
It is known to monitor the tip clearance of at least some of the blades of these rotors. Such monitoring may be utilized to determine potential problems with the rotors or the blades. It is known to utilize microwave signals, and monitor a reflected signal to identify a tip clearance.
One other feature that is often monitored with regard to such rotors is rotor imbalance. If the rotors are out of balance, severe vibration can occur, which is undesirable. To date, engine rotor balance technology has required special test instrumentation or ground support equipment. Installing this instrumentation is time consuming, and requires the engine to be out of service for a period of time. The ground support equipment is limited, and there is often a wait to obtain this equipment.